Illinois emergency authorities said a levee along the Mississippi River in far western Illinois burst Saturday morning and voluntary evacuations were underway in Keithsburg, a town of about 700 residents.
“The levee broke in two places,” said Keithsburg Alderman George Askew, 76. “We’re getting under water.”
Farther south, rising water prompted officials to close a bridge over the Mississippi connecting Quincy, Ill., to Missouri.
Authorities were sandbagging an area around a water treatment facility and other nearby businesses as a precaution.
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama toured Quincy and helped fill sandbags Saturday.
“Since I’ve been involved in public office, we’ve not seen this kind of devastation,” Obama said of the Midwest flooding.
He vowed to push the federal and state governments to provide needed aid to the stricken areas.
